Ocasio-Cortez Becomes the Youngest Woman Ever Elected to Congress

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will be the youngest woman ever elected into Congress following her midterm election win Tuesday. The 29-year-old New York Democrat skyrocketed into the national spotlight earlier this year after a grassroots campaign and primary victory over 10-term incumbent Rep. Joseph Crowley.

“It is a privilege and an honor to say that we have also elected the youngest woman in American history to serve in Congress,” she told supporters in New York City Tuesday night. “This is what is possible when everyday people come together in the collective realization that all our actions no matter how small or how large are powerful, worthwhile, and capable of lasting change.”

Ocasio-Cortez, who campaigned on a platform that included Medicare for all and free college tuition, told CBS News’ “Face The Nation” in July that a populist-style approach “absolutely” brings out new voters.

“So for us, this is about inspiring people to the polls, giving them something to vote for, creating hope for this nation, and knowing that so long as there are working class Americans who believe in a prosperous and just future we will have hope, no matter how red the district,” she said.

She also spent months leading up the midterm elections fundraising and stumping for other progressives, including Michigan’s Rashida Tlaib, who became one of the first two Muslim women elected into Congress.